Chain Bridge Road School – Washington, D.C. - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

AO Edited

Chain Bridge Road School

Washington, D.C.

A rare example of a rural school in Washington, D.C.  

View all photos
Chain Bridge Road School blimpcaptain (Atlas Obscura User)
Chain Bridge Road School blimpcaptain (Atlas Obscura User)
Chain Bridge Road School blimpcaptain (Atlas Obscura User)
Chain Bridge Road School blimpcaptain (Atlas Obscura User)
Chain Bridge Road School blimpcaptain (Atlas Obscura User)
22
81
Top Places in Washington, D.C.
"Sushi Tray, Small"
Smithsonian Sushi Collection
Washington, D.C.
The Dupont Underground
Washington, D.C.
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
Washington, D.C.
 See All

The Chain Bridge Road School was built in 1923 to serve Black students in upper northwest Washington, D.C., and Maryland.

The building, which still stands today, was expanded from its original iteration as a one-room schoolhouse built in 1865, to a four-room schoolhouse designed to meet the expanding educational needs of the local community.

The original building served children of formerly enslaved and free persons who settled in nearby Battery Kemble to be close to the protection of the Union camp. Many were able to obtain land through purchase or gifting from former slaveowners in the area who were no longer participating in slavery.

The Colonial Revival-style school was designed by municipal architect Albert L. Harris and is a rare example of D.C.’s rural elementary schools. The school closed in 1941.

Know Before You Go

The Chain Bridge Road School was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 9, 2003. Best viewed from a distance. 

schools black history history & culture
Community Contributors
b
Added by
blimpcaptain
Published
August 31, 2022
Edit this listing
Make an Edit Add Photos
Nearby
Conduit Road Schoolhouse
0.48 miles
American University Experiment Station
0.49 miles
The Kreeger Museum
0.57 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Conduit Road Schoolhouse
Washington, D.C.

Conduit Road Schoolhouse

The Conduit Road Schoolhouse is one of the last one-room schoolhouses remaining in Washington, D.C.
American University surrounded by Army tents
Washington, D.C.

American University Experiment Station

The school tested mustard gas for the U.S. Army during World War I.
Washington, D.C.

The Kreeger Museum

The legacy of a wealthy executive and his wife, this little-known art museum features works by Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and more.
Washington, D.C.

Arizona Avenue Trestle

The span is crooked and made from two older recycled bridges.
Related Places
Warren Historic Site
Dickerson, Maryland

Warren Historic Site

Once the center of a thriving early Black community called Martinsburg.
Galveston, Texas

Juneteenth Monument at Ashton Villa

The statue, located at a mansion-turned-emancipation museum, honors Galveston’s history as the birthplace of Juneteenth.
Georgetown, South Carolina

Gullah Museum

A unique museum that uses visual art and storytelling to reveal the hidden history of the Gullah Geechee and their African ancestors.
Concord, Massachusetts

Brister Freeman Homestead Site

A stone marker dedicated to a Black veteran of the American Revolution who refused to leave his land near Walden Pond.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web